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prashiie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
"Anyway, if I was a criminal I should not like to have Hercule Poirot on my track."
Poirot takes the Blue Train and gets himself involved in a murder mystery. We meet a lot of characters and one of them is Boris Ivanovitch. If that name sounds familiar to you, you’ve probably read ‘The Secret Adversary’! I didn’t realise until now that Tommy and Tuppence live in the same universe as Poirot. One of the characters I love is Katherine Grey – she was a very sweet character. She comes across as someone who is easy to talk to and to share your troubles with, but in this story she also proves to be a smart girl! I have to admit that for a while I suspected her to be the antagonist, because that would have made a great twist. But no, she stayed true to her character. She does a lot of good for people and as a result she unexpectedly inherits a lot of money. And even then, she remains generous. Can’t say I would have done the same in that scenario.
"Well," said Katherine, "let them if they like. We all have our own ways of enjoying ourselves. They were, after all, Mrs. Harfield's only relatives, and though they despised her as a poor relation and paid no attention to her when she was alive, it seems to me unfair that they should be cut off with nothing."
Naturally, this inheritance brings a few greedy relatives back into her life who invite her to the French Riviera. That’s when she meets Poirot and becomes involved in a murder mystery.
Some aspects of the story were really modern. For example, I really liked that Rufus Van Aldin advised his daughter to get a divorce. It’s better to stay alone than to be stuck in an unhappy marriage. And that is exactly what Agatha Christie did in her own life as well.
Some aspects of the story were really modern. For example, I really liked that Rufus Van Aldin advised his daughter to get a divorce. It’s better to stay alone than to be stuck in an unhappy marriage. And that is exactly what Agatha Christie did in her own life as well.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this book even though at first it was confusing to read multiple storylines.
Graphic: Infidelity, Murder, Death, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Stalking
michela_ognibeni's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Minor: Murder and Death
jdcorley's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Poirot is more in the mix in this novel than either a central character or a welcome rescuer. He pops up, then disappears, then pops up, then disappears. This would be fine if the main characters were truly appealing (or appalling) but with a single exception they do seem to just be a pile of wet laundry. The big revelations at the end are weirdly unnecessary (if you think about what the culprit says earlier in the book it makes sense that they could just be a little more of who they seem to be and the answer would be the same), meaning that the puzzle elements are also unsatisfying. Unless you're a real Poirot-head (that's what we call them, right?!) you can skip this one.
Moderate: Murder
itsalina's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Moderate: Murder, Infidelity, and Death
Minor: Toxic friendship and Injury/Injury detail
hannahg3mm311's review
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Antisemitism
passionfordeadleaves's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Moderate: Murder and Racism
correct_rper's review
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Racism
awebofstories's review against another edition
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Graphic: Murder
kdailyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Murder
ishouldbereading's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Murder